A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier (usually made of compacted soil) separating areas in a vertical way, especially partway up a long slope. It can serve as a terrace road, track, path, a fortification line, a border/separation barrier for navigation, good drainage, industry, or other purposes. For general applications, a berm is a physical, stationary barrier of some kind.
The word is from Middle Dutch and came into usage in English via French. In coastal geography, a berm is a bank of sand or gravel ridge parallel to the shoreline and a few tens of centimetres high, created by wave action throwing material beyond the average level of the sea. Berms are also used as a method of environmental spill containment and liquid spill control.
